Ponder0828

(Slightly unrelated to the problem.) Today, a friend and I were servicing my AC system. Everything was going smooth up until I walked around to my passenger door and noticed a pink fluid dumping onto the ground at the back of my motor. Couldn't get under my truck to see where the spill was coming from without taking some fluid to the face.. I shut my truck off and the spill slowed to dripping and eventually stopped. The fluid is pink, but smells like coolant. I add DexCool and I am well aware of the problems it carries with gaskets..

I've had a WP issue before.. But it was nothing like this, coolant was pouring out from somewhere on the back of my motor and the WP has been replaced a few months prior with new gaskets, sealant, and bolts properly torqued.

I've heard some things about the Transcooler within the Radiator, the color of the fluid made me think of transmission fluid, yet it was watered down and smelled like coolant. Could there have been a crack and those two fluids mix? If so, I may be out of luck with my seals in the trans if coolant has flown through it. I only put it in gear to move it into a suitable parking spot and left it there.

All the threads I have seen so far have all been talking about WP issues and what not... I doubt this is a WP issue. Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated... I didn't look into the hoses and have already replaced one of my disconnect fittings at the firewall.. I did do a quick inspection and found NO fluid whatsoever around those fittings, or on top of the motor... I have no idea where this leak came from.

Ponder0828

Picture that I took after this happened.

burnhedge

Looks like coolant to me. It would be a rare for coolant to get in the trans and a oil/water mix would be easy to spot

Your probably going to have to start it up and find the leak. Since you were working on the ac it's most likely something simple like a cracked overflow tank or the hose getting pulled loose.

KChevy75

I've seen the freeze plugs develop pinholes and shoot a stream of coolant out when running. When not running, they may not even drip any since the hole is so tiny.

Ponder0828

Yeah, the best plan of action is to check the hoses. May have knocked something loose while taking the AC lines off to replace the seals..

I keep hearing about the freeze plugs now. I've also done some research and have asked a couple of guys about the pink antifreeze. Dex Cool may come in either orange or pink, but I know that I added orange after I changed the WP. Then I hear that when added with water, the orange color may change a bit and seem pink.

Thanks you two. I'm going to check the hoses when I get a break at work (since my truck is inop in our parking lot lol) if I don't find anything loose or damaged... I suppose the freeze plugs are my next best bet.. The issue with trans fluid and coolant mixing is a bit far-fetched and i've never heard of it happening.. But with my luck, that could very well be the issue. I'll poke around when I get the chance.

tech2

dexcool is orange not pink. Did they put an aftermarket coolant in...does what came out match what's in the reservoir?

The only time I've seen pink fluid in a gm is from trans fluid and coolant mix...so is the trans fluid over filled on the stick? Hope it's not a bad rad cause it's almost impossible to flush that out of a trans without tearing it down.

burnhedge

Several brands of red dex cool on the market.

Ponder0828

Yeah, the Dexcool I added after changing my WP was definitely orange. I've heard that you can buy a pink dye Dexcool from the factory, however. The orange dye they put in Dexcool breaks down when water contacts it, it also poured out in a hangar floor so the white background gave it more of a pink look.

The issue was one of my heater hoses located by the condenser line, my buddy moved it over and the quick connect came undone. Luckily it wasn't a serious issue..

Thanks for the advice though guys.

tech2

yep, aftermarket fluid

tech2

seriously? It must be a 50 year process.